Spanish soccer player Rafa Mir sentenced to 8-and-a-half years for sexually assaulting two women

Sevilla's Rafa Mir arrives for a training session at the Puskas Arena in Budapest, Hungary, May 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic, File)

Warning: Graphic content.

MADRID — A court in Spain has sentenced Spanish forward Rafa Mir to eight and-a-half years of prison for having sexually assaulted two women along with another soccer player.

A lower court in the region of Valencia ruled Monday that Mir and the other player had sexually assaulted the two women in 2024 in Mir’s home in the city of Valencia, where at that time he was playing for the eponymous soccer club.

The court handed Mir seven years for sexual assault and another 18 months for causing physical harm.

Mir, 28, played for Elche in La Liga last season on loan from Sevilla. His contract with Elche is set to expire at the end of this month.

The second player, identified as Pablo J. G. in court documents, is a lower division player in Spain. The court sentenced him to two-and-a-half years of prison for sexual assault and causing physical harm.

Mir denied wrongdoing, saying that the two women consented to having sexual relations with him.

The verdict can be appealed.

If you or someone you know is struggling with sexual assault or trauma, the following resources are available to support people in crisis:

• Call 911 if you are in immediate danger or fear for your safety.
• The Canadian Association of Sexual Assault Centres' website has a comprehensive list of sexual assault centres in Canada that offer information, advocacy and counselling. 
• The Ending Violence Association of Canada‘s website has links to helplines, support services and locations across Canada that offer sexual assault kits.
• Indian Residential School Survivors Society crisis lines: [phone] or [phone] (24/7)
• Toronto Rape Crisis Centre crisis line: [phone] (24/7)
• Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline: [phone] (24/7)
• Trans Lifeline: [phone]
• Suicide Crisis Helpline: call or text 988 (24/7)
• Sexual Misconduct Support and Resource Centre for current and former Canadian Armed Forces members: [phone]
• Read about your rights as a victim on the Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime website.